One unidentified person died and around 20 injured, including two policemen, after a mob turned violent over a youth being allegedly attacked during police checking in the Mayur Vihar area of East Delhi on Sunday evening.
The mob attacked police officials and damaged public property. The incident sparked off after a biker, identified as Kamruddin, was signalled by the police to stop at Mayur Vihar Phase III around 6 pm.
“He was riding in a drunken state without a helmet and tried to flee from the spot. A police officer hit him with a stick. He fell down and got injured. The police immediately rushed him to hospital where he is still recuperating and is now safe,” said Tanmya, an eyewitness who recorded everything on his mobile and left the spot.
Meanwhile, a rumour spread across the nearby localities that the police allegedly hit the man and that he died. Soon a mob of around 100 people turned violent and set buses, police vans, bikes and shops on fire. The mob started throwing stones at the police officials, who were outnumbered by the violent mob.
Ten police officials were surrounded by the mob and attacked with stones. A police official was injured in the melee.
Meanwhile, the police called the backup team which rushed to the spot to control the mob.
Special Commissioner of Police (law and order) Dharmendra Kumar said, “Six battalions of police have been deployed in the area after the violence erupted.”
High drama
High drama was witnessed in the area for around four hours. The mob also raised slogans against the police.
When the mob did not allow fire tender vehicles to reach the area, the police resorted to lathicharge and burst teargas to brought the situation under control around 9 pm .
The injured were admitted to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital and Guru Teg Bahadaur Hospital.
Following the incident, security was beefed up in and around Mayur Vihar. Police barricades have also been erected.
Ambulances and fire tenders have been stationed for any contingency. According to agencies, a DTC bus was among the vehicles set on fire on Sunday evening.
The police said they had to fire in the air to control the situation, which is still tense.
People at the spot alleged that one person was killed in the police firing, but the police refused to confirm the report.
The police said that the situation was under control after 10:30 pm, but miscreants in Khoda colony, in adjoining Uttar Pradesh, were still throwing stones at the police sporadically.